Hire and Rental News - August 2018

10 HIRE AND RENTAL NEWS • AUGUST 2018 INDUSTRY NEWS To summarise the decision, minimum wages in modern awards will be increased by 3.5% from the first full pay period commencing on or after (ffppooa) 1 July 2018. This increase can be absorbed into existing over award payments, as per the absorption clause in the applicable modern award. The 3.5% increase will also apply to the national minimum wage, increasing it by $24.30 to $719.20 per week, or $18.93 per hour. Weekly wages will be rounded to the nearest $0.10. Award/Agreement free adult employees are covered by the national minimum wage. Casual award/ agreement free employees are also covered by a default casual loading which remains at 25%. The national minimum wages for juniors, employees under training arrangements, and employees with a disability have also been increased by 3.5%. Most junior and apprentice rates are expressed as a percentage of a nominated adult rate and so the 3.5% increase will Annual wage review from the Fair Work Commission The annual wage review decision was handed down on 1 June by the Fair Work Commission and applies to all employees covered by modern awards, enterprise awards, as well as award free employees. also flow through to employees’ wages. National Training Wages for trainees will also be increased by 3.5% from the ffppooa 1 July 2018. Piece rates will increase in accordance with the relevant provisions in the modern award. Most modern awards contain a supported wage system for employees with a disability. These employees are paid a percentage of the relevant adult wage, based on their assessed capacity and the 3.5% increase will also flow through to these employees. There is a minimum weekly payment (currently $84 but not determined at the time of going to press) which will also be increased. Casual award/agreement free employees are also covered by a default casual loading which remains at 25%. Previous wage reviews have established a special minimum wage for award/ agreement free junior employees, and award/agreement free trainees and apprentices. These employees receive a percentage of the national minimum wage determined by the junior wage scale and the apprentice scale in the Miscellaneous Award 2010. Award/agreement free adult apprentices must not receive less that the full national minimum wage for adults. Award/agreement free trainees must be paid in accordance with the National Training Wage, as found in Schedule E of the Miscellaneous Award 2010. This provision will continue to apply to relevant employees and their minimum wages will increase accordingly. The minimum rate of pay for award/ agreement free employees with a disability that does not affect their work has also been increased by 3.5%. The adult minimum wage for these employees will rise to $719.20 per week, with juniors paid a percentage of this based on the scale in the Miscellaneous Award 2010. Award/agreement free employees with a disability that affects their work are paid a percentage of this amount, based on their assessed productive capacity. Call the Workplace Advice Unit:13 29 59 or: www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au The award for overall business excellence recognises TMHA as the top national Toyota forklift distributor in the world in sales and customer support categories, taking into account equipment sales, services and parts performance, and overall business productivity. Australia’s forklift distributorship received a second Toyota international accolade this year, winning the TMHI Vision 2020 Award. Newly promoted TMHA President and CEO Steve Takacs said Toyota has led the Australian forklift market uninterrupted for the past nine years. Steve accepted the two awards from Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) President Akira Onishi at a TMHI Distributor conference in TMHA wins third consecutive International President’s Award Taking out the highest honour in the global Toyota forklift awards, against 72 TMHI distributors competing annually, Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) has won its third consecutive Toyota Material Handling International (TMHI) President’s Award. Nagoya in April. Mr Takacs said achieving a hat trick of TMHI President’s Awards was unprecedented in the 60 years of Toyota’s international forklift business. “It is a real feather in our cap and fitting reward for the hard work by our 750 staff in delivering industry best service and support nationally for our customers. “The TMHI President’s Award recognises sustained growth in the business and improved safety for staff. The Japanese highly value what is termed business levelling and we would term consistency, and TMHA has achieved sustained growth in profit and market share. “The criteria for Vision 2020 was to create a plan for where the business is heading in terms of structure, growth, human resources, finance and legals; in fact all areas of the business." Contact: 1800 425 438 or visit website: www.toyotamaterialhandling.com.au TMHA has won its third consecutive Toyota Material Handling International (TMHI) President’s Award